Combined cheek plate and draft-key anchor



Oct. 16, 1928.

W. WRIGHT COMBINED CREEK PLATE AND DRAFT KEY ANCHOR Filed Aug.-6, 19254 i Patented Oct. i6, 1928.

UNITED STATES Larissa PATENT oFFicnW-j WILLIAM WRIGHT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 E. IAYSON SMITH, OF

' SPRINGFIELB, ILLINOIS.

COMBINED CHEKPLATE Aun DRAFT-KEY ANCHOR.

Application lediAugust 6, 1325. Serial No. 48;.448.-

My invention relates to an integral or single piece structure constitutinga cheek plate adapted to be secured to the outer side of the center sill, of a railroad car at the draft rigging and coupler ends thereofl whereby xthe slotted ends of the center sill are reenforced and proper guideways for the draft keys of the coupler and draft ri ging are provided; while at the same time also constituting means for ,locking or anchoring the draft keys against accidental removal and loss. Y, Y

My invention has for itsobject the'provision of a casting or single member adapted to be riveted or` properly securedto the vertical side of a center sill member lengthwise thereof and throughout that part of the draft'riggingwhere the usual draftkeys are located and have movement in a direction lengthwise of the cent-er sill; one purpose of inv invention beine'r to obviate the` necessity of employing and riveting' different menibers to the center sill, serving separately ask a reenforcing member or cheek plate and a draft key retainer or anchor; my invention therefore provides means which eliminates the extra time and labor otherwise required in securing separate elements to the center sill which also involve the placing; of additional rivet holes in the center sill membersV and a consequent weakening; and therefore undesirablecondition not in keeping with standard railwayconstruction. l l

The objects and advantages of my invention will be more readily comprehended from the detailed description of the'accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of the ci center sill of a car, the coupler, portions of the draft rigging and draft keys, ilustrating 'the application of my improvedcheek plate parallel spaced relation` between which `ther draft rigging is mounted; a portion of the draft rigging yoke being shown at 11; while 12 indicates the coupler, the shank whereof.`

is disposed between the center sill member and the yoke 11. The center sill members, draft rigging yoke and the coupler shank are provided with the usual slots disposed longitudinally of said members and adapted to be brought into register to receive the.

usual draft'keys shown at 13, 13. As the draft rigging' forms no part of my invention,

a detailed description and more specific illustration thereof need not be entered into.

' My invention contemplates theuse of av single castingr or plate 14 of length suliicient to extend beyond the opposite ends ofthe draft key slots in the center sill member so as to reenforce the latter; the casting orI .plate 14 comprising the main base portion- 15 adapted to lie flush against the 'center sill member 10 and to be riveted or otherwise secured thereto as for example by means of rivets which pass through the rivet receiving apertures shown'at'16. The ends 17 of the base portion 15 are arranged substantially at right angles yand disposed outwardly a distance beyond the vertical planes of the heads 18 of the draft keys v13 when the lat-V ter are inplace. These end portions 17 have their immediate ends preferably reenforced by having the same disposed toward the opposite end of the cheek plate and substanr`ti'ally"piarallel with the base portion 15 as shown at 19 in Figure 4t. rllhe base portion 15 is also preferablyV provided with a slot or slots 20, QOtojcorrespond with the slots in the draft rigging and the center sill so as to receive the draft keys 13, 13; the base portionrl of the cheek plate member beingF preferably provided with a reenforcing web 21 extending lengthwise of the plateand about the slots 2O aslclearly shown in Figure 1. -VTlie portion of the cheek plate lepintermediateof the slots 20, 20, namely at a point intermediate of the ends of the cheek plate,

is shown provided with an integrally formed,

outwardlydisposed skeleton lug` or bracket portion 22 which extends laterally outward preferably to the same extent as the end porl tions 17, 17. l i

f The endV portions17 as well as the inter mediate bracket iup` 22, may be providedff with suitablefreenforcingwebs as at 23 so as to provide a strong rigid structure.y j

The end portions 17,` at points adjacent to 4the outer ends thereof, are each provided lon i `with the latch member arranged in a l5 with a vertically disposed slot 24, while the vbracket lug 22 may either be in the nature of a laterally disposed U-shaped lug or iny slightly beyond the heads 18 of the draft keys 13 and therefore transversely of the path of the draft keys, as clearly shown in c Figures l and 3.

The latch member consists of a plate or flat bar of comparative thickness, with the major portion of width slightly less than Vthe vertical dimensions of the slots 24E and of length slightly greater than the distance between the end portions 17, 17 of the cheek plate member 14. The latch member or )late 25 has each end oreferabl :novided l l Y l with a de ending lio or oro'ectioii 26 and :e l l a with one end of the latch member on its upper edge also provided with the enlarged portion or shoulder 27 so thaty the vertical dimension of the end of the latch member with the shoulder 27 is substantially equal v to the vertical dimeiisioiiof the elongated a similar opening which will be iii register slot 2st in the end portion 17 of the cheek plate.' Vertical movement of the latch meiner or plate 25 at this end of the cheek plate is therefore prevented.

Then thelatch member or plate 25' has been inserted in place, the depending vpor-v tions or lips 2G will depend beneath the lower edges of the slots 2e andv prevent loiigitudinal movement of the latch member or plate 25,; it being apparent that the end provided with the shoulder 27 will prevent further inwardk longitudinal movement ofthe latch plate or member 25 because the distance from the top of the shoulder portion r27 to the bottom of the lip or projection 26 at that end of thelatch member is greater than the vertical dimension of the slot 2t in the end portion 17 of the cheek plate.

VIn'order to prevent possibility of the latch -member or plate 25 shifting longitudinally toward the end provided withy the shoulder 27 and therefore becoming displaced, l prefer to provide one of the outwardly disposed portionsof the cheek plate, as for example the intermediate bracket lug portion 22 of the cheek plate, with an aperturef28 and also to provide the latch member oi' plate 25 with with the opening 28 when the latch member or plate is in proper position. The registering openings in the latch plate and bracket lug receive a suitable ,split Vpin or plane cotter as at 29am Figure l which will lock the latch. member or plate 25 against any longitudinal movementin the direction of the shouldered end 27 of the m`eiiiber'25.

The present method of securing the draft keys in place consists in vproviding the tapered kor tail 'end of the draft key with an opening through which is inserted a cotter or split pin. rlhese pins, by reason of the constant shifting of the draft keys, are readily sheared off because theyv are brought up against the sides of the centersill-inember or the reenforciiig plates secured to the center sill where the pins are subjected to enormous shearing strains. When the Cotter pins are slieared off, the draft keys tend to move longitudinally in the direction of the head end and as a result tlieyfsoon become displaced, the coupler and other elements are allowed to drop out-of place, causing a disarrangement of the draft rigging and often producing seriousl results.

With my invention, the center sill is pioi .ready access to be had to the draft keys in the event that removal of the draft key is desired for; any purpose.

I have. showi'iaiid described what I believe to be a simple embodiment of my invention; .having described'y the same terms employed merely as terms of description and notas terms of limitation; structural modi- Aications beingv possible, and maybe made without, however, departing from the spirit of my invention.

Vl. A device Lof the character described, comprising a single piece metallic plate slotted longitudinally and yadapted to be .secured to vthe vcenter sillof a railroad car, the ends of the plate being disposed laterally toward one side of the plate and having aligned openings therethrough, and a bar or rod insertible through said aligned openings l'engtliwise of the plate so as to be disposed across tlie slotted-portion thereof.

2. A combined cheekpplate and ,draft key anchor, comprising a. plate adapted to be secured to acar center sill and extend lengthwise thereof beyond the opposite ends of the darft keyv slots in the center sill, `the plate being slotted to register with the draft key slotsin the center sill and 'having its ends bent outwardly to adistance beyond the ,horizontaly plane of the draft key head, the

ends having openingsftherethrough, and a bar orrod insertible through, said openings and provided withabutting surfaces forV holding the bar movement.

or rod. against longitudinal i 3. A combined cheek plate and draft key anchor, comprising a plate adapted to be f secured to a. car center sill lengthwise thereof and surrounding the draft key slots in the center sill, said plate being slotted at points in register with the dra-ft key, slots in the` center sill, the ends of the plate being disposed outwardly in parallel relation with each other and` having registering openings, and a bar insertible through the registering openings to extend lengthwise of the plate,

the ends of the bar being provided with projections adapted to engage with the ends of the plate to prevent longitudinal movement of the bar.

4. A `combined cheek plate and draft key anchor, comprising a slotted plate adapted to be secured to a Car center sill lengthwise of the draft key slots therein, the ends and an intermediate portion of the plate being formed `to extend outwardly and provided with registering openings, a bar insertible into said openings and disposed across the paths of the draft key heads, and means for holding said bar in place.

5. A combinedV cheek late and draft key anchor, comprising a s otted plate having rivet-receiving holes, outwardly disposed ends.v and a transverse web intermediate of its ends, both ends and said web being provided with aligned openings there-p through, a bar insertible into said openings so as to be disposed across the path of the draft ke heads, and means for holding the bar in p ace. WILLIAM WRIGHT. 

